Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Nov 15, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 133 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
6
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
4
What this page shows
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2016 RAM 3500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Owner reports naming airbag
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Airbags
Filed Nov 15, 2025
Took vehicle to dealership for repair of heater. Once the repair was complete the dealership called to say the heater was fixed but the airbag light is now on. Once doing more testing they called back to say my steering wheel airbag harness either shorted or was crushed during the heater repair The part is no longer available and no remedy was available. I just have to take my car back compromised I refused the vehicle back and requested management get involved.
NHTSA ID
11699554
Incident
Nov 14, 2025
Airbags
Filed Jan 18, 2023
Crash reported2 injuries reported
The contact owned a 2016 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, he crashed into another vehicle waiting at a stop light. The driver-side air bag did not deploy upon impact. The other driver was taken to the hospital; however, the driver's whereabouts are unknown. The contact also sustained whiplash which he was treated for days after the accident. A police report was filed. Due to the damage, the contact's vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it was deemed a total loss. The contact went to the dealer and notified them about the air bag failure; they then referred him to the manufacturer. The contact filed a claim with the manufacturer and an investigator was assigned to look into the failure. The investigation determined that since the contact did not depress the brake pedal prior to the accident, the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 242,000.
NHTSA ID
11502345
Incident
Oct 18, 2022
Mileage
242,000 mi
AirbagsBody & structureSuspension
Filed May 27, 2020
MY 2016 RAM 3500 DRW LIMITED LEANS TO THE RIGHT APPROXIMATELY 3/4 INCH. WHEN I PLACE MY TRUCK CAMPER ON TOP, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG/SENSOR DOES NOT RISE EQUALLY WITH THE LEFT. AS A RESULT, I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH AN APPROXIMATE 2 INCH LEAN TO THE RIGHT. I DID NOT NOTICE THE TRUCK LEANS TO THE RIGHT UNTIL I PURCHASED A TRUCK CAMPER 3 MONTHS AGO. I TOOK IT TO RAM, THEY PUT IT ON A COMPUTER TO TRY AND ADJUST THE SETTINGS. IT DID NOT WORK. APPARENTLY, ONLY A FEW RAM MECHANICS IN THE US UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM AND CAN FIX MY ISSUE. I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO GO ANYWHERE TO FIX MY ISSUE. APPARENTLY, THERE IS NO TECHNICAL BULLETIN TO FIX MY ISSUE. I UNDERSTAND PLACING A CAMPER ON TOP OF THE TRUCK IS A MODIFICATION TO THE TRUCK. BUT, THESE TRUCKS ARE MARKETED BY RAM TO SUPPORT THE RV INDUSTRY. SO, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MY REAR CALIBRATED CLOSE TO ZERO. WHY CAN'T RAM WORK WITH THE LOCAL DEALER TO FIX MY ISSUE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING ON THE ROAD WITH THE TRUCK LEANING TO RIGHT AT 13,495 LBS GVW. (GVWR=14K). CAN YOU HELP TO CONNECT WITH RAM TO ASK THEM TO HELP FIX MY ISSUE? *TR
NHTSA ID
11326166
Incident
May 25, 2020
Mileage
107,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 8, 2019
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR PERIODICALLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS WITHIN THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. NORTHPOINT CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (4441 US-5, DERBY, VT 05829, (802) 334-3179) AND MIDSTATE CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (1365 US-302, BARRE, VT 05641, (802) 479-0586) WERE CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE DIAGNOSED AND THE REPAIR WOULD BE PAID AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.
NHTSA ID
11278925
Incident
Sep 1, 2019
Mileage
62,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Mar 6, 2019
Crash reported2 injuries reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 RAM 3500. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT AT HIS JOB, HE CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER DUE TO FOGGY CONDITIONS. THE BARRIER HAD NO BRIGHT PAINT OR REFLECTORS AND WAS NOT VISIBLE THROUGH THE FOG. THE MOTOR TORE THROUGH THE VEHICLE'S FRAME. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED A BRUISED LEG AND A SEPARATED SHOULDER. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A HEADACHE AND HEAD PAINS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FIVE STAR JEEP, RAM, DODGE, CHRYSLER (3068 RIVERSIDE DR, MACON, GA 31210, (478) 287-1907), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,125. *DT*JB *DT*JB *DT*JB
NHTSA ID
11184566
Incident
Feb 11, 2019
Mileage
99,125 mi
Airbags
Filed Mar 30, 2017
Crash reported
I WAS TRAVELING W/B ON I-78 APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH(IN A SNOW STORM),AND I WAS TRYING TO PASS A TRACTOR -TRAILER.WHEN I WAS ABOUT 150FT FROM HIS TRAILER, THEIR TRACTOR PROCEEDED TO JACK-KNIFE IN FRONT OF ME.HE THEN CAME TO REST ALONG THE JERSEY BARRIER WALL(TRACTOR FACING EAST BOUND IN WEST BOUND LANES AND TRAILER FACING NORTH/SOUTH ACROSS INTERSTATE) , AND I WENT INTO A SKID AND HIT THEIR FRONT END AT ABOUT 35MPH. UPON IMPACT I PUSHED HIM OFF THE WALL AND SPUN HIM IN A 100 DEGREE ROTATION,SO HE WAS FACING W/B OFF THE SHOULDER AND THE TRAILER WAS PARTIALLY IN THE RIGHT LANE OF THE W/B LANES. I CAME TO REST AFTER IMPACT ABOUT 200 FEET AWAY FROM IMPACT AREA. NONE OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT ALL. I ALSO HAD MY TRAILER ATTACHED(GOOSENECK) W 8 MOTORCYCLES INSIDE TOTAL WEIGHT(14K) ADDING INERTIA FORCE AND SPEED. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK AND TRAILER,I WAS SURPRISED THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T GO OFF I COULD SEE THE RADIUS ARM(SUSPENSION PIECE THAT HOLDS THE AXLE TO THE FRAME)ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS BENT .THE SLEEVE FOR MY GOOSENECK TRAILER WAS BENT ROUGHLY 3/4-1" ( THE SLEEVE IS 4" DIAMETER TUBE AND 1/4" THICK).I DID NOT SEE THE DAMAGE OF THEIR VEHICLE BUT WAS TOLD IT HAD TO BE TOWED FROM THE SCENE.THIS ALL TOOK PLACE AT NIGHT 10:45PM ROUGHLY AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO WALK AROUND DUE TO IT BEING ON THE INTERSTATE AND SNOWING .I AM GLAD THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON DRY PAVEMENT OR I HIT THE CENTER OF THE TRAILER, BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE MORE SEVERE. I AM JUST VERY SURPRISED AGAIN THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED WITH THE AMOUNT OF FORCE ON IMPACT BETWEEN MY TRUCK AND TRAILER HITTING THE OTHER VEHICLES.
NHTSA ID
10969495
Incident
Mar 13, 2017
Mileage
61,242 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 16, 2016
Crash reported
RAN INTO THE REAR END OF 18 WHEELER DEAD STOPPED IN MIDDLE OF ROAD DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 40 - 45 MPH . MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY YET THE COMPLETE FRONT END OF TRUCK WAS BASHED IN AND PROBABLY TOTALED.
NHTSA ID
10926511
Incident
Nov 15, 2016
Airbags
Filed Jun 9, 2016
Crash reportedFire reported
INVOLVED IN A FRONT END, AND DRIVER SIDE COLLISION AT A SPEED OVER 50MPH, AND THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE ALSO CAUGHT FIRE, THERE WAS A MINI EXPLOSION. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER, BUT THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING, ABOUT THIS MATTER.
NHTSA ID
10873428
Incident
May 15, 2016
Mileage
49,000 mi
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own